Robert Vadra deletes Facebook account

Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on Monday deleted his Facebook account after his status message on the social networking site triggered controversy and India Against Corruption (IAC) member Kumar Vishwas demanded his apology on the matter.

Vishwas asked Vadra to apologize for reportedly updating his status message in Facebook as "Mango people in banana republic."

Vishwas, a close associate of social activist Arvind Kejriwal, said Vadra, against whom they have brought charges of making huge wealth by using a realty firm favoured by the Congress governments, should apologise for insulting Indians by calling it a banana republic.

"India is a 64 year old democracy. It is known worldwide for that and Indian democracy commands respect. How come he insults Indians by calling it a banana republic," said Biswas.

He could insult such a country and its people full of talents just by his own arrogance of being linked to the Gandhi family, the activist said.

He and the party (Congress) should immediately apologize for the remark, he said.

A war of words is raging between the Congress and Vadra on one side and the India Against Corruption led by Arvind Kejriwal on the other side.

Arvind Kejriwal and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan this Friday targetted the Congress first family by laying before people the alleged undervalued property deals of Vadra with India´s biggest realty firm DLF, alleging the former made hundreds of crores in return of government favours to the firm.

While Congress started defending Vadra, the man himself started hitting back since Saturday.

On Sunday, he issued a statement saying the charges were false, baseless and defamatory and made by a person (Kejriwal) to launch his political party with a cheap publicity bid.

"I am a law-abiding citizen engaged in business for over 21 years," he said in the statement.

He said he is saddened by the charges by Kejriwal and Bhushan aimed at maligning his family.

"My business transactions are fully reflected in financial statements filed before appropriate government authorities in compliance with the law. They are available in the public domain to anyone interested in knowing the truth," he said.

Kejriwal earlier called a denial statement by the realty firm DLF on the issue as one "full of half-truths and lies."

Earlier on Saturday, anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare said a ´judicial probe´ should be done while Kejriwal himself took the challenge further saying he is ready to face defamation charges if the allegations were unfounded.